1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the use of polycationic condensates as color transfer inhibiting and color release reducing additive to detergents and fabric conditioners, and to detergents and fabric conditioners which comprise polycationic condensates.
2. Description of the Background
When colored textiles are washed, the dye is partly released from the colored textiles and transferred from the wash liquor to other fabrics. If, for example, white laundry is washed together with colored textiles, the white laundry becomes soiled. In order to prevent transfer of the released textile dye from the wash liquor to the laundry, color detergents which contain polymeric color transfer inhibitors have been developed. The latter comprise, for example, homo- and copolymers of vinylpyrrolidone and vinylimidazole, cf. DE-B-22 32 353 and DE-A-28 14 287.
EP-A-0 462 806 discloses the use of cationic dye fixatives in after-wash treatment baths together with fabric softeners. The after-treatment of the laundry takes place in usual domestic washing machines at temperatures below 40.degree. C. The dye fixatives can, according to the statements in the application, also be employed in nonionic detergents. The cationic fixatives slow down the release of the dye from the colored textiles during the treatment process.